


I Have Lost You Once Before || bagginshield (and frodo)

by AnironSidh



Series: Fem Bilbo works [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: And Kili with someone, Baby Frodo, Bella thinks he is, Complicated Relationships, Dwobbit Frodo Baggins, F/M, Female Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Frodo is Bilbo and Thorin's Child, Sigrid and Fili are a thing, Thorin is dead but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-08-06 23:23:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16397057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnironSidh/pseuds/AnironSidh
Summary: After her adventure across Middle-Earth, Bella Baggins returns home lonely and pregnant. She resigns herself to a life with her young son, Frodo, and without Thorin Oakenshield.She knows the dead cannot come back, but when two of her beloved dwarves who died in the battle visit the Shire, she may have to rethink some things. And she may begin on another journey, this one to her heart





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of my drafts on Wattpad from some time ago, so please excuse the mistakes. I read a few stories similiar to this and figured I'd post it here. And yes, I know this is yet another fem!Bilbo. I have a thing for that trope, apparently.  
> Let me know what you think in the comments!

One morning in early spring, a hobbit rode into the Shire on a pony. Two chests and a few bags were strapped onto it. The hobbit lass was leaning forward into the pony's neck with her hands on her stomach.

As she reached Bag End, a woman came out of Bagshot Row.

"Miss Bella? Is that you? "

The hobbit stopped as her old friend approached. Lila took in her tired look and disheveled appearance.

"It's me. "

Lila forced a smile and led the pony to the door. She helped Bella into her house and dumped her things inside.

"Come on. Let's go down for a cup of tea. "

Bella seemed too tired to resist and followed her friend, emotionless.

They walked into Lila's home. Other than a small, sandy-haired boy in the corner in a crib, the house was empty.

Lila led Bella to a seat and bustled around in the kitchen. She returned with two cups of tea.

"Where in Middle-Earth have you been, Bella? "

Bella shrugged, looking down at her feet. "I went on a bit of an adventure. "

"With some dwarves? I thought they were supposed to be far away and quite rude. "

Bella tightened her grip on the mug. "They're not, surprisingly. They can be quite kind.... and loving. "

"Something happened, didn't it? " Lila asked in a soft voice. Bella laid a hand on her stomach and gained a painful expression. 

"Yes. By the end..... not all of them made it. "

Lila nodded. "Did you love one of them? I know that look of heartbreak. "

"Yes, I did. Not that it matters. He's gone, and that's that. " her tone went from soft to angry instantly. 

For the first time, Lila noticed the bump under Bella's tunic, only just covered the fur cloak she wore. It was barely noticeable, but Lila had known Bella far too long.

"Bella..... are you....."

A nod was all it took to get a squeal out of Lila and a hug. "That's amazing, Bella! Absolutely amazing! "

Bella shrugged. "Guess so. I only just found about the child when we passed through Rivendell. "

Lila grinned, picking up the boy in the crib when he began fussing. "You're lucky that I just had a child, so I'll be able to help you out. Maybe Leogard can even play with them when they're older. Right Leo? "

The baby gurgled happily in his mother's arms. 

For the first time in months, Bella smiled. Maybe it wouldn't be bad without him.

\-----------------------------

By late summer, Bella felt like she hardly wanted to move. Lila stopped by every day to check on her friend and help knit baby clothes.

One night, Bella sat by her desk. She opened a book to find portraits. The first was of her, the first one Ori had made. The next in the pile showed a proud-looking dwarf with obviously dark hair. Even though the portrait was in black-and-white, Bella could never forget the dwarf's bright blue eyes. 

Thorin. 

Oh, how she missed him. 

In a sudden rage, Bella threw her papers all over the study floor, screaming. Still, Thorin's portrait lay on top of the pile. 

"Thorin...... why did it end like this? " she murmured to herself. 

The hobbit could never forget the way Thorin had assured her he loved her, and their night under the stars away from the camp just before trekking to the Mountain. 

"Bella? Are you alright? " 

Lila. Of course. "I'll be fine. "

Lila ran in and noticed the papers littering the floor. She picked up Thorin's portrait and stepped over to her friend. 

"Was.... Was this him? "

Bella nodded and avoided the stare of the portrait. It was still far too soon to talk about him. The nightmares were enough. 

Her dreams were filled with visions of the last battle, Azog, the others, Fili slowly falling through the air, Kili losing his fight, and Thorin...... his struggle that ended in death and then his last words to Bella.

\---

Bella hurried down broken steps to the last place she'd seen Thorin.

There.

The dwarf king lay on the icy ground, pulling air in shakily. When she crouched next to him his eyes widened in shock. 

"Be-lla..... W-what are you.... doing here? " 

She sniffed back tears and checked a serious wound on his torso. No amount of fighting orcs could have prepared her for the quite frankly disgusting nature of orc inflicted wounds. She cringed, looking towards his face instead.

"It's going to be okay. " She murmured. 

Thorin shook his head. "No.... I wish to....... part from you.... in friendship. I t-take back.... My words and deeds at the Gate. " his voice stumbled over the words. 

"No. You're going to make it. "

He grasped her hand in his. "No I won't, Bella. I..... will not.... give you f-false hope. Go back... to t-the Shire, to your bo-oks and your armchair.... plant your trees.... watch..... them grow. Enjoy friends... and the laughter..... o-of children playing. "

She let out a sob and lay her head on his chest. "Thorin.... please. "

Bella lifted her head and looked him in the eye for a moment. Desperately, she pressed her lips to his gently. His hand rested on her back, though with great effort. When she pulled away he gave one last smile. 

"I love you... My Bella.... My g-ghivashel. "

Bella held back her sobs and laid her hand on his. "I love you too, Thorin Oakenshield. "

She watched his eyes sparkle one last time before they closed entirely. She murmured a quick blessing suited for a death she'd learned from the deaths of her parents. Then, wracked with despair, she turned away and sobbed. 

It was all over. Everything was over. 

\---

A few days later in the Green Dragon inn, Hamfast Gamgee sat in a group of hobbits when one nudged his shoulder. 

"Hey, Hamfast. Are the rumours true? "

He shook himself. "What rumours? "

"The rumour that there's a new baby in Bag End. "

Hamfast nodded. "O' course. Lila's been up there all day with her and the boy. She took Leo with, too. "

"What's it's name, then? "

"It's Frodo. His name is Frodo Baggins. "

Whispers travelled throughout the group. One finally spoke up. 

"Where's his father been, then? We hadn't heard of anyone courtin' Miss Bella. "

Hamfast shrugged and took another sip of ale. "Don't know, Will. She's only told my wife who he is. All I know is that she won't talk about him, and that he's dead. "

A murmur of sympathy passed through the crowd. "The boy's father is dead? You sure, Hamfast? "

"Course I'm sure. Lila told me and besides, he's not anywhere to be found around here. "

The hobbits soon turned to their own conversations. Many chose to discuss the new child in Bag End, and rumours began to spread regarding his mysterious father.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight breaks out

Frodo Baggins, age five.

Hobbits working outside in the Shire looked around as a small boy raced by. He ran into the open door of Bag End and disappeared from sight. Frodo Baggins raced to the study where his mother sat at her desk. She had a red book in front of her and seemed to be writing.

"Mama! " he exclaimed with a giggle. Bella smiled and pulled the young boy onto her lap. 

"Where have you been, Frodo? "

He giggled again. "Explorin'. I was tryin to find the elves, Mama. "

She smiled, a wry smile at that. If Thorin knew his son was looking for elves... 

"As long as you're having fun, my boy. "

Frodo smiled and grabbed at a stray piece of paper. Bella's breath caught in her throat when she realised he held Thorin's portrait in his chubby hands. 

"Who's this, Mama? " the boy asked. "He looks brave. "

Bella forced a smile and pulled her son around so that both of them could see the portrait. 

"He was very brave. He would protect anyone he cared for at any cost. "

Frodo nodded, tracing the shape of Thorin's face. "He looks kinda like me. "

Bella tightened her grip on the boy and nodded. "Yes, he does. "

"Mama... " Frodo began. He turned around and his next words shocked her, words that she wouldn't have believed he could have come up with. "Is this Papa? "

She looked into his eyes. Once again, she noticed how his eyes were the same exact shape and colour of Thorin's with the capability of developing that blood-curdling stare.

"Yes it is, Frodo. That's your father. "

His mouth formed an 'o' as he looked back at the portrait. 

"But Mama..... He has a beard! " Frodo exclaimed. 

Bella burst into laughter upon seeing Frodo's shocked face. "Of course he did, sweetie. He's supposed to have one. "

"Hobbit's don't have beards, Mama. Samwise told me so."

"But dwarves do. He wasn't a hobbit, Frodo. "

Frodo smiled. "My Papa was a dwarf! Cool! "

Bella laughed softly as her son ran around their smial shouting about Thorin. Her heart warmed at her son's pride at his father he didn't even know much about.

\------------------------------

A group of hobbit boys were playing by the creek when Frodo ran up to them out of breath. Among them sat Hamfast Gamgee, who welcomed Frodo like he would his own son. 

"Hey Frodo. " Samwise Gamgee greeted. Frodo smiled and sat next to his best friend. Sam was the oldest which to Frodo, Merry, and Pippin meant that he knew much more than they did and that he was the leader. 

The group played in the creek for a few good hours and ended with laying on the banks, feet in the water. 

This was how hobbit children spent their childhood, and Frodo enjoyed every moment of it.

\------------------------

Frodo Baggins, age ten.

 

On the day after his tenth birthday, Frodo once again went down to the river. Sam saw him coming and jumped up. 

"Hurry up, Frodo! You're a bit late, aren't you? "

Frodo laughed quietly and sat by the bank. 

When he looked over, he noticed two hobbit boys trying to reach something in a tree. They were hopping up and down to try to get a satchel out of the tree. Frodo stood up and walked over to them. 

"Do you guys need any help? " he asked.

The first, a boy a few years older than Frodo, shrugged. "Doubt you could get it. It's stuck. "

Frodo reached up and, with only a little bit of stretching, pulled the satchel down. 

"Here. Dunno why you couldn't, it wasn't that high. " Frodo said.

The boy glared at him for a second before looking up. "Wait.... you're taller than I am, and you're only ten! That's not possible. "

Frodo shrugged. "Mama says it's a growth spurt. "

"Nuh-uh. You're too tall. Only dwarves get that tall. "

"So? I'm just tall. Or maybe you're just short. " Frodo retorted. 

The boy looked towards his friend for backup. "Unless your father was a dwarf. Nobody knows who he was, so maybe your mother hid it cause it was embarrassing. "

"I'd sure be embarrassed if my mom did something like that. I heard adults talkin about that 'venture your mama went on. My dad told me that somethin musta happened with all those men."

Frodo saw red then, and he felt something bubbling up deep inside. 

When his vision cleared, he saw the second hobbit on the ground. The hobbit was holding his cheek and shrieking in pain. The first hobbit glared at Frodo as he crouched beside his friend. Sam walked up and quickly assessed the situation. 

"Get up, Tom. You're fine. "

Tom got up, albeit slowly, and glared at Frodo. "You hit me, and Imma gonna get you back for it. "

And with that, he limped away with his sidekick in tow.

\-------------------

Frodo crept into Bag End silently and headed straight to the kitchen. He knew his mother was still at the market and he didn't want to be near her when she heard about what he'd done. 

Someone cleared their throat behind him. 

Mahal, couldn't anything go his way today? 

"Frodo, come here. Now. "

The boy turned around to face his mother. Bella stood in the doorway, a rolling pin in her hands. 

"Yes? " 

"Mrs. Boffins told me that Tolman arrived home and told her you 'beat him up'. What on earth happened? " she questioned. "He looked positively horrible! "

He lowered his head before replying. "I had to, Mama. "

"Had to? Why would you have to hit somebody? " 

"He insulted you, Mama. " Frodo explained. Then in a lower tone, he finished. "And Papa too. "

Bella frowned and stepped forward. Placing the pin on the counter, she laid a hand on her son's shoulder. 

"I know that what Tolman said wasn't right, but you can't do something like that. Okay? "

Frodo nodded solemnly. "Okay, Mama. "

Bella smiled, leading her son into the dining room. It seemed that her son had inherited not only his father's looks, but his temper as well.


	3. Travelers

    Whispers followed the strange travelers as they passed through the Shire. Sometimes Men would be seen going through, or maybe the rare elf, but these newcomers were neither. It wasn’t until one threw back his blue hood back and shook out his blond hair when the hobbits realised they were dwarves. Most simply stared at the strangers. The blond one wore two swords crossed on his back, his dark-haired fellow carrying a bow. The hobbits came to the conclusion that they must be two of Miss Bella’s dwarves and turned away. None of that nonsense for them, thank you very much! Carrying weapons was bound to attract trouble, no doubt about that. 

    The dwarves raced each other up the hill to Bag End, to no one’s surprise, and up to the round green door. The blond one banged on the door and stepped back. 

    “Wait a moment, I’m coming.” a very irate voice called from inside. A few minutes later, though to the dwarves it felt like far longer, the door opened. A hobbit woman stood there, her curls balanced precariously on her head. The annoyed expression on her face quickly gave way to one of shock. She started, nearly dropping the thing she held on her hip. 

    “Hello, Miss Boggins.” Kili cheered. Fili rolled his eyes at the nickname, and in doing so, looked down. A small child hung onto Bella’s waistcoat, his jet black curls falling over his forehead. But it was the eyes that startled Fili. For a split second, he felt as though it was his uncle staring back at him and not this child. Of course, that was simply ridiculous.

    “What… What are you two doing here?” 

    Kili grinned. “Visiting you on our way to Ered Luin, of course. Fee thought we deserved a break from traveling from Erebor.”

    Bella sighed, letting the boy fall to the floor. “Go and play, Frodo.”

    “But Mama!” he cried, definitely deliberately widening his eyes, “I wanna see the dwarves!”

    “Go.”

    Frodo glared up at his mother, and then with a quick grin towards said dwarves, darted off. Bella watched him go until he disappeared from sight and gestured for her guests to come inside. Kili instantly offered to help, frowned when he was told no, and solemnly hung his hood up on the hooks. Fili followed him a bit slower. 

    “Bella-”

    The hobbit shook her head. “No. Don’t say anything unless you are going to explain what in Eru’s name is going on here. You two cannot just show up out of the blue-”

    Kili stepped forward. “We would have told you we were coming but we-”

    “No excuses.” Bella nearly hissed. “I thought both of you were  _ dead _ , do you understand that? I thought… We all thought the three of you were going to die. I left before that could happen but clearly I was wrong.”

    Fili waited until she was gasping for breath before he spoke. “I thought someone would have told you. It’s been chaos trying to rebuild Erebor and Dale. Thorin-”

    “Don’t.” Bella stepped back. Both dwarves looked down. She sighed, leading them to the living room where three cups of tea sat beside a plate of the cookies Dwalin had been so fond of. Fili and Kili sat on the sofa across from her gingerly. 

    “Are you still mad at us?” Kili asked, his voice quiet. Bella shook her head with a weary smile. 

    “No, Kili. I’m not. I just wish I had known. I wish someone had told me.”

    Fili glanced towards the mantle. “Did you marry when you came back? Frodo-”

    Bella shook her head, laughing nervously. “No. No, I didn’t. It’s quite a long story, though I am surprised you haven’t noticed it by now.”

    “Noticed what?” Fili turned back to her. Bella raised an eyebrow at him, and called for her son. The boy raced in, giggling, and stopped in front of his mother. 

    “Noticed who he looks like.” Bella whispered. Fili kneeled across from Frodo. Those oddly-familiar eyes stared back at him solemnly. Beside him, Kili made a sharp intake of breath and looked up at Bella.

    “Thorin.” he whispered. Suddenly, Fili noticed the obvious similarities. The ice-blue eyes, pointed hawk like nose he and Kili had inherited. His hair was much too dark to be from Bella. 

    Fili looked up at her. “Why didn’t you send word?”

    “I thought about it.” Bella said, looking down at her son. “I wrote a few letters to Balin but I never sent them. They all ended up in the wastebasket. How was I supposed to write all this in a simple letter?”

    Frodo stepped forwards then and up to Fili. “Hullo.”

    “Hello,” Fili whispered, “ _ Iraknadad _ .”

    “What does that mean?” Frodo asked, nose scrunching up in confusion. 

    “It’s a word in the secret dwarvish language.”

    The boy frowned. “But what does it mean? I can keep a secret, promise!”

    “It’s alright, Fili.” Bella said with a small smile. “You can tell him.”

    Frodo grinned and began hopping up and down. Kili scooted closer to him with a matching grin. With a sigh, Fili held the boys tiny hands in his and smiled. 

    “It means cousin.”

    The boy’s eyes widened, his mouth shaped like an ‘o’. “Are you my cousins?”

    Kili grinned, chirping out a quick “Yep! That we are.”

    Frodo seemed to think for a moment, looked from Fili to Kili, and grinned. “We have the same nose!” he cheered. Bella leaned forward and ruffled his curls affectionately. He turned to his mother and promptly jumped up into her lap. 

    Once he quickly fell asleep, Bella stood up and laid him on the couch. Fili watched as she pulled a blanket over her son and blew out the candle sitting beside him. She sighed, walking back to her armchair. 

    Kili looked up at her. “Bella. Since we’re going back to Erebor, you and Frodo would be more than welcome to travel with us. I only thought that maybe you would want to see it again. Sigrid and Tilda wanted to see you again last time we went to Dale, and Tauriel does too. Just for a visit.”

    Fili turned to his brother, shocked. He knew what lay under his brother’s offer, and even if their uncle had mentioned once that he wished to see their hobbit again, it was a very bold proposition. Bella too seemed surprised. She glanced over at Frodo and turned back to Kili, wearing a very knowing smile. 

    “You mean go back to Erebor and see Thorin, don’t you?” she whispered. Kili’s nod was nearly imperceptible but she saw it anyways. Bella sighed, smiled softly, and looked at both of them. “I suppose. I have missed seeing the mountains and everything again. When were you going to leave here?”

    Kili grinned. “In a few days. We’re due back to the Mountain before Durin’s Day.”

    “Alright.” Bella nodded. “I suppose I had better make some preparations first. While I’m doing that, would you two mind taking Frodo back to his room? I need to go visit the Gamgees and ask them to watch Bag End.”

    She left a few moments laters. Fili carefully scooped Frodo up in his arms and carried him into the room they had stayed in before the quest. Of course, now it was strewn with toys, small wooden soldiers arranged in mock battles. Kili snorted at the toy dragon that towered over the soldiers. 

    “Pales a bit after Smaug, doesn’t it?”

    Fili rolled his eyes. “Yeah.”

* * *

    Bella stepped outside and looked up towards Bag End with a smile.

    “Are you sure about leaving again?” From behind her, Lila spoke up. Bella turned to her friend with a smile. 

    “Of course, Lila.” she responded. “I don’t feel at home here, not like I used to. Now that I know they’re still alive, I must. Thorin deserves to meet his son, doesn’t he?”

    Lila pulled her into a hug. “Of course. Just take care of yourself, alright? Life without you in Middle-Earth would be quite boring, I’d think.” she jested. Bella laughed, tugging her dearest friend even closer. 

    “I promise.”


	4. The Journey to Erebor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way to Erebor, Bella worries.

    The news that Bella Baggins of Bag End was leaving the Shire once again, and again with dwarves, spread like wildfire. Lila and her small family took up residence in the spare wing of the smial, much to the disdain of one Sackville-Baggins. On the morning the small party was to set off for the far off mountain, Bella Baggins was standing outside when she spotted a familiar parasol coming up Bagshot Row. 

    “Bella Baggins! How dare you!” Lobelia Sackville-Baggins shrieked. Bella groaned. She feigned a welcoming smile as the woman flounced up. 

    “Hello, Lobelia. I’m afraid there is no time for tea today, as I am leaving very soon. Do you need something?”

    Lobelia instantly turned her nose up. “How dare you dishonor the family name like this! Going off on another ridiculous adventure, and with those disgusting dwarves no less. You’re bringing that boy up to be entirely unrespectable, you know! Of course  _ halfbreeds _ like him cannot be respectable but-” her words were cut off by a blond blur racing out of the smial and up to her, brandishing a small dagger. 

    “Never say that again.” Fili growled at her. Lobelia whimpered, grabbed her parasol, and scurried off. He watched her disappear from sight with a sort of grim satisfaction. 

    “What was all that about?” Bella whispered. Fili shrugged and sheathed the dagger. 

    “She insulted you and Frodo. I couldn’t let that stand.”

    Kili stepped outside then, laden in Frodo’s many bags and said child hanging off of his arm. The boy giggled in glee, sprung off his cousin and into his mother’s arms. Fili aided his brother in attaching the bags to the ponies they had bought in Bree. Bella watched, her son flinging himself down and darting around. 

    It had been a hard decision to leave the Shire again, despite her quick agreement a few nights before. Surprisingly, Frodo seemed happy to leave. He spent two days saying goodbye to his few friends and packing his things with great enthusiasm. Once he was told they were going to see his father, the boy had not stopped moving. The journey would take a few months, shorter than her adventure due to the safer roads, but the prospect was very much daunting to Bella. 

    Before Fili and Kili had arrived, Thorin had seemed so very far away, unreachable. Now, however, he felt very near. He was at the end of this journey, and Bella was terrified. She had betrayed him last they met, giving the Arkenstone away to his enemies, and the peace they had made was tentative at the least. She was terrified of how he would to react when he learned about his son. Fili had refused to send a letter to anyone about Frodo, simply stating it would be better otherwise. 

    “Bella?” Kili’s voice broke through her thoughts. “We’re ready to leave.”

    She stepped forwards, lifting her son onto her own pony, and hopped up onto it behind him. With one last look back towards the place she had called home, where she had raised her son, the ponies lurched forwards and towards the East. 

 

-

 

    They reached Bree at nightfall. Once the ponies had been stabled, the group made their way into the Prancing Pony. Bella carried Frodo on her hip. The boy was almost too big to carry, but he was far past the age when a hobbit child would be carried everywhere. Bella supposed his slow growth was due to his dwarven heritage. He was nearing fifteen in September, yet he wasn’t much bigger than a faunt half his age.

    The innkeeper, a kind man named Barliman Butterbur, apologized profusely for the lack of rooms. The room they received held three small beds and not much else. Fili’s attempts to give Bella and Frodo a bed each proved to be useless. The boy had already curled up in the bed closest to the door, where Bella sat. He had nearly attached himself to her a few minutes later. 

    The night passed quickly. Fili woke everyone early in the morning. The ponies were retrieved from the stables and loaded again with their packs. Frodo slept through the next leg of their journey, held steady on the pony by his mother. They camped in the wilderness as the Misty Mountains grew bigger by the day. 

    It was a large boulder in the middle of nowhere that sparked Bella’s memory. She turned to Fili. “We’re near Rivendell, aren’t we?”

    He nodded. “Yes.” he said. “We’ll stop there for a day or so. Balin wants us to keep good relations with Lord Elrond.”

    They were welcomed by the Lady Arwen this time. Bella was in awe of the woman’s beauty, spending most of their time there with her. Frodo tagged along with her. His smile was persistent, kept there by his wonder of the elves surrounding him. He often followed Elrond, tugging at his sleeves with his mouth running a mile a minute with dozens of questions. The elven lord tolerated every single one of them. 

    “It has been a long time since my children were very young.” he told Bella one day at dinner. “His questions are always very interesting, and I do not mind telling him stories. Frodo is a very curious boy.”

    “He is.” Bella replied, smiling. “A bit too odd for the Shire’s tastes. I can only hope he will be welcomed at the end of our journey.” 

    Elrond seemed to study the boy for a moment then, turning back with a knowing expression. “He is Oakenshield’s son, is he not?”

    “Yes.”

    “Then he will be welcomed with open arms in Erebor.” he affirmed. “Children are very rare and precious to dwarves, no matter the state of their birth. Do not worry yourself. All will work out in the end.”

 

-

 

    The morning they left Rivendell felt quite sad, as if the city itself did not want them to leave. Arwen gifted Bella a new dress, adorned with golden and silver thread along the edges. Frodo received a small book of the stories Elrond had told him. Fili and Kili hurry them on their way. The leaves were starting to turn shades of gold and orange, Durin’s Day fast approaching. They planned to travel over a pass Elrond has suggested. It has been discovered only a few months prior, but it was a low pass and one that was safe for their small party. 

    Luckily, they did not encounter any goblins, or life at all, on this crossing. They left the Mountains near the Old Forest road. The eaves of the Greenwood lay ahead. Prince Legolas greeted them at the entrance to the forest. Gone was the darkness that had settled over the forest when it had been Mirkwood. Life filled the forest now. Birds sang from the trees, and squirrels darted across the path. Frodo delighted in giving chase to the creatures. 

    A few days were spent in Thranduil's’ palace, but Fili and Kili were determined to press forwards now that the Mountain was in view. 

    Bella was hit with an indescribable rush of feelings when the Lonely Mountain came into view. She remembered the first time she had seen it, after Thorin had embraced her on the Carrock, and the last time, when she had turned to look at it one final time before heading home with Gandalf. 

    Beside her, Frodo bounced forwards. He still had not settled down when they made camp that night, one day’s journey from Dale. The city glowed with candlelight ahead of them. 

    “Mama, why are you so nervous? We’re almost there!” he chirped. Bella forced a smile and ruffled his hair. 

    “Because, Frodo, there’s someone there that.... We didn’t part on the best terms.”

    The boy seemed to think for a moment. “Oh. Is Papa there? Only, I heard Kili talking, so I thought that maybe he is.”

    Bella stared at her son for a moment. She nodded and his face  _ glowed _ . He darted off to where Fili and Kili were setting up their campfire, presumably to bother them with questions. 

    She turned to look at the Mountain where it stood in the distance. She knew what she would face inside, and it, quite frankly, scared her. Kili had told her that Thorin was no longer the person he had been under the gold sickness, that he had ordered for the Arkenstone to be put as far into the Mountain as possible, but those thoughts did not comfort her now. She was reappearing fifteen years after she had left, and with an illegitimate child no less. There was no saying how Thorin, or any of the others, would react. 

    The next morning, they would stand before him and Bella hoped that he would accept them, and just maybe he would allow her to stay. 


	5. A Lesson Learned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin meets his son and Dain is threatened.

    Thorin Oakenshield surveyed his court. His nephews were due to return within the day, but neither of them could be seen. A message had come from Dale that morning telling him they had passed by the city, along with two strangers. 

    “Thorin,” Balin called him, “Fili and Kili have arrived. They are in the North meeting room. There… I think you will want to see this.”

    “Why?”

    Balin sighed. “I would rather not explain it, Thorin. All I will say is that it is very important. Go. I’ll handle this.” he advised, a message clearly heard below his words. 

    The way to the North meeting room was short, luckily, and made easier by the noise coming from it. He could hear his nephews speaking over each other, and a higher voice laughing. It sounded like a child, and somehow familiar, though he did not know it. 

    “Will you two calm down? You’re going to wind him up!” a female voice sounded then, one that tugged at his heart. He knew that voice, every way it sounded. The voice of one’s amrâlimê was not one easily forgotten in any dwarrow’s heart. 

    The noise died instantly when he opened the door. His nephews stared up at him. He nodded at them, and they stood aside with a  _ flourish _ . Behind them, a hobbit woman stood, holding something tight to her body. She gazed back at him silently. 

    “Bella.” he whispered, and it was like a dam broke. Her expression softened. She made to take a step forwards until the thing she held back moved. Thorin watched as the boy she held fought free from her grip with a ‘Mama, lemme go’.

    Her son. She had a son. He looked no older than ten, ink-black curls falling over his face and eyes like light sapphire. A look of recognition flooded his face. Bella reached out to hold him back as he raced towards Thorin with a cry of “Papa!”

    The boy flew straight into him, his arms doing their best to wrap around him. Thorin looked up at Bella and saw confirmation written on her face. She sighed, stepping forward, and knelt behind her son.

    “His name is Frodo.” she murmured. Thorin glanced down at the mop of curls currently buried in his coat. Bella looked up, “He’ll be fifteen in a month.”

    Fifteen years… Thorin dimly remembered Balin telling him it would be that many years since they had reclaimed their home. Instantly, it clicked. He met Bella’s eyes. 

    “Is he-”

    Bella sighed, “He’s your son. I should suppose that would have been obvious. The boys,” here she jerked her head at Fili and Kili, “figured that out not long after they arrived at Bag End.”

    Frodo stepped back, still grinning, his smile somehow oddly alike to what Frerin’s had been. Now, looking directly at him, Thorin saw everything that pointed to Frodo as his and Bella’s child. His ears were still pointed like his mothers’, but not quite. His face lacked the usual hobbit softness, having a more pointed quality instead. 

    “Why did you not send word?”

    Bella sighed again, this time in frustration. “First of all, I was told that you and the boys had died after the battle and that it would be better if I went home, and secondly, how would I have worded that? Balin was the only one I could think of, and I couldn’t manage to write down what had happened.”

    Thorin looked down to Frodo. His son. He had given up on children of his own so long ago. Once Fili and then Kili had been born, they was no need for an heir of his own. Then he had met Bella and hoped to crown her once the Mountain had been reclaimed, a desire that was quickly smothered by the gold. He had tossed her out as if she meant nothing to him. Now, maybe he could fix what he had broken. He did not deserve Bella’s forgiveness.

    Something about Bella’s words stuck in his mind. “Who told you?”

    “Dain.” she replied, perhaps sensing something. “Not long after we spoke, when I was trying to find Gandalf. I… wish I hadn’t believed him.”

    Thorin nodded. “Fili and Kili will show you to your rooms. I believe I must speak with my  _ cousin _ .”

    “Alright.” Bella sighed. “Just don’t hurt him, okay? I doubt Balin would want to clean up  _ that _ mess.”

 

-

 

    Dwalin followed behind Thorin, only a few feet back. The king’s anger surrounded him like a dark cloud. Dwalin had heard most of the conversation between him and the burglar. 

    “I’d listen to Bella if I was you.”

    Thorin slowed down to walk beside him. “Why?”

    Dwalin shrugged. “Just don’t punch his face in, a’right? It’d rightly piss the Iron Hills off.” he said. Thorin scoffed. When he turned to Dwalin, there was clear pain in his eyes underneath the anger. 

    “It would not be undeserved. He told Bella to leave in the winter while she was pregnant-”

    “None of us knew ‘bout that.”

    He shook his head. “Does that matter? I have lost fifteen years with my son, Dwalin. I rather think that gives me a right to be angry.”

    Dwalin didn’t reply. He simply walked behind his king, as he had always done, into Dain’s chambers. The dwarf lord glanced up nonchalantly. 

    “Thorin. Is something wrong?” 

    “Do not play dumb with me, Dain.” Thorin growled. “I just spoke to Bella Baggins. She told me something very interesting.”

    Dain stood up. “The halfling? What reason does she have to be here?”

    “She is half of  _ nothing _ .” Thorin’s glare could have melted rock. “My nephews brought her from the Shire. She informed me that you had told her to leave after the battle, and that my nephews and I had died. You had no right to send her away.”

    “No?” Dain said, albeit harshly. “She betrayed you, Thorin. That woman gave the Arkenstone to that blasted elf and Bard. I see no issue with my actions.”

    “She brought a young boy with her, her son.  _ My _ son.” he hissed. Dain stepped back. 

    “I had heard the whispers of a bastard-”

    Dwalin pulled out Grasper and Keeper, holding them barely an inch from Dain’s neck. “Call him that again and I will not hesitate.”  

    Thorin held an arm out in front of him. “Dain, you will apologise for sending Bella away when you had no right to do so and you will leave here as soon as you are able. I do not want you in my sight.”

    Without another word, Thorin left, leaving a pale-faced Dain behind. 


	6. A Quiet Night

    Bella leaned against the balcony, watching the lights in Dale. She was glad for the opportunity for fresh air. Protesting the rooms she and Frodo had been given had yielded no results. She still didn’t think she deserved to stay in the Royal Wing. Fili had simply shook his head with a grin and left before she could fight it again. 

    Frodo had fallen asleep immediately upon reaching his new bed. He had looked up at his mother, said, “I’m gonna stay up until Papa is here.”, and promptly fell asleep a few moments later despite his best efforts. 

    She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she took no notice of the door opening until Thorin was standing behind her. She stayed silent, waiting until he spoke first. 

    “Can you not sleep?” his voice came like a whisper, barely there. She turned to see him. For the first time since the traveling days of the quest, he was not dressed as a king, but in a simple blue tunic with silver threaded in decorations around the edges and trousers. Except for the beads he wore, depicting his status as king and the battles he had lived through, Thorin wore no ornamentation. 

    “No. I had thought perhaps it would be easier sleeping once I could sleep in a bed again.” she scoffed. “It seems I was mistaken.”

    “Ah.” he stepped forward. “I assume Frodo does not share your predicament?”

    Bella snorted. “He’s still a child, Thorin. That boy can fall asleep anywhere, given enough time. I don’t doubt he could sleep on the very top of a mountain comfortably. As a baby he only slept on my chest. I still swear he left an indent.” she said, glancing towards her son’s bedroom. 

    “I would say that I can remember Fili and Kili used to do that, but they still do.”

    They fell into comfortable silence, simply standing beside each other on the balcony. 

    Thorin sighed. “I have missed so much and I cannot gain these past years back. If Dain had not told you to leave...” he said. Bella turned to look at him. She hesitantly reached over to lay her hand over his. 

    “It’s not entirely your fault, Thorin.” she murmured. Unconsciously, he curled his hand around hers. Her breath halted for a split second. When he tried to pull away, she tightened her grip and shot him a challenging look. Accepting, he turned back out towards Dale. 

    “I have spoken with Dain. He will be leaving for the Iron Hills.”

    Bella nodded. “You didn’t have to do that, though I suppose it wouldn’t end well if he stayed here for much longer.” 

    “Indeed.” He turned to face her once more and quickly found himself staring. The moonlight reflected off of her curls, lending her an otherworldly look. Bella shivered, stepping back. Thorin laid an arm around her shoulders to give her some warmth. She had just looked up at him with a indiscernible expression when they were interrupted. 

    “Mama?” Frodo stood in the doorway of his room, rubbing his eyes with balled fists. His parents simultaneously moved to kneel in front of him. Bella brushed his dark curls back from his forehead. 

    “What’s wrong, darling?”

    The boy sniffled. “Thirsty, an’ I can’t sleep.”

    Bella nodded. “Alright. I’ll get you a glass of water and tuck you back in, okay? Wait here while I go get that-”

    “I can tuck him in.” Thorin offered. “Or at least take him back in.”

    Frodo raised his arms in a tired sort of movement and shuffled towards Thorin. Bella pressed a kiss to her son’s forehead. She hurried off to find a glass of water. 

    “I wanna sleep.” Frodo murmured. Thorin picked his son up, settling the boy against his chest, and walked back into the smaller bedroom. The lamp beside the bed was still lit and gave off a faint glow. Thorin took a moment to hold Frodo. He had forgotten the simple joy of holding a young child, something he hadn’t done since Fili and Kili had been small. Frodo’s warm weight against his chest was a familiar comfort. 

    It was there, standing the the dimly lit room, that the day’s events finally sunk in. As he laid his son on the bed and pulled the soft blanket around him, Thorin’s mind raced. After so many years of having given up on a child of his own he finally had Frodo within his reach. 

    Bella crept up behind him and placed a small glass of water of the small table beside the bed. She snuffed out the flame of the lamp, kissed Frodo’s forehead, and began walking out of the bedroom. 

    “I think I’ll try to sleep now. I hadn’t realised how late it was.” Bella said, her voice soft. Thorin watched her until she had disappeared into the bedroom opposite Frodo’s. 

 

* * *

 

    Dís was waiting for him when he returned to his rooms. She turned to him from where she sat, placing her cup of tea down on the table. 

    “Where have you been?” she asked. 

    “Out.”

    She raised her eyebrow in clear suspicion. “Obviously. Out where?”

    “I was visiting Bella.” he muttered. 

    “And your son?” Dís mentioned, as if it was not a big deal at all. Thorin turned back to face her.

    “You heard?”

    She rolled her eyes. “Of course. My sons are completely unable to keep a secret.” she said with a chuckle. “But yes, I heard. I only wish we had known. He could have been raised here, among us, instead.”

    “Dain told her the boys and I had died in the battle, and that she would be better off leaving for the Shire.” Thorin sat beside his sister, whose stare held a murderous glint. “I have already sent him packing. He believes he was right in sending her away. He will not be seen here again.”

    Dís leaned back. “Good. He has changed greatly since we were children. I never would expected this from him, but I suppose growing up does that to some people.” she mused. The two sat in silence until Dís stood, bade goodnight, and left. 

     Thorin took hours to fall asleep that night. Thoughts of his newfound son and Bella taunted him for the rest of the night. 


	7. A Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I haven't yet decided if there will be Kili/Tauriel or Kili/Legolas (as in To Change the Course of the Future). Comment with your preference please!
> 
> Bella and Thorin have a much needed talk, the first of many.

**Warning: offensive language (b*tch) used once approximately 330 words in**

 

Kili/Legolas or Kili/Tauriel? Readers pick

 

    Jari followed his lord through the halls of Erebor in the early morning. Dain Ironfoot had been ordered out of the Mountain by the King, and so he had to obey. The Princess herself had personally woken them up that morning at an unholy hour. Jari knew it was no honour, but a clear message to  _ get out _ . 

    “It’s ridiculous, this whole business with that halfling.” Dain growled. Jari hurried forward to walk beside his lord. 

    “You did insult the king’s son.” he added.

    One of his fellows, Bruní, walked alongside them. “And his woman.”

    Dain glared ahead. “He has produced a halfbred bastard. The council will not look kindly upon that fact. I was merely attempting to save my cousin from their retribution.” he muttered. Jari simply nodded. There would be no convincing Lord Dain of anything, it seemed. 

    They walked until they had reached the gates. Dain halted suddenly, glaring heavily at the figure before him. 

    Jari recognised her from the Battle, though she had been dirt-stained and clearly grieving. He knew now that Bella Baggins had been pregnant even then with the child who was now running circles around her. 

    “You’re leaving. Good.” a voice rumbled. “My sister told me she woke you this morning.”

     The fact that he had not immediately noticed the King standing a foot or so away from the halfling was one that Jari would regret. He and Bruní sunk into low bows where they stood on either side of Dain. Though King Thorin nodded at them, his glare was directed at Dain. 

    The  **_crack_ ** that rang through the air was the only sign that the halfling had stomped forwards and slapped Dain across the face. Bruní and Jari stared in shock. 

    “That,  **_my lord_ ** ,” she hissed, “is for what you have done. How dare you.”

    Dain barely had time to raise his hand towards her and mutter,  _ “You bitch.” _ before an arrow whistled through the air and just past his neck. Jari turned to the balcony above them to see a dark-haired archer pointing a bow directly at his group. 

    It took them less than ten minutes to jump onto their mounts and ride away from Erebor. 

 

-

 

    Thorin watched the small party disappear into the distance. Bella stood beside him, Frodo in her arms. The boy was insistently checking his mother’s face to make sure she was uninjured. 

    “I’m quite alright, Frodo.” Bella murmured. She turned to Thorin. The expression on his face was one she had only seen once before. 

    She had last seen it when she had been dangling over the ledge of the parapet. It was an odd relief when the look was not directed at her. It was gone a moment later, replaced by a look of concern when he turned to her. 

    Frodo smiled up at him and Thorin was struck by a wave of familiarity. For a moment, he saw Frerin smiling at him, the childish grin he had worn all his life. Thorin stumbled backwards. 

     “Thorin?-” Bella stepped forward.”- are you alright?”

    When she gently rested her hand on his arm, he knew that he did not deserve her. After all he had done, after he had hurt her, she still cared. He voiced his thoughts aloud and she sighed. 

    “We’ll have to talk about… things. Not here. Inside at least,” she said. He nodded. She sighed, partially to herself, and turned back towards the Mountain. Thorin followed her, only stopping when she did to hand Frodo off to  Fili and Kili, and into the royal wing. Bella opened her own door and gestured for him to follow her in. 

    The presence in the room of a child was obvious through the toys strewn everywhere. Thorin picked up a doll sitting on the end of the couch. He scoffed at the odd likeness. Unnoticed, Bella crept up beside him. 

    “It was the best I could do. He begged for a doll that looked like you after I showed him your portrait… I couldn’t resist.” she murmured. He would have jumped if not for the training in his youth. 

    Thorin smiled. “It is a worthy likeness, I think.”

    Bella laughed softly. She sat down on the couch, wringing her hands together. Thorin remembered the gesture from the quest when she had worried over the Company. He sat next to her and reached over gently to hold her hand in his own. She stilled, sighed, and turned to face him. 

    She glanced down. “Aren’t you angry with me?”

    “Of course not.” Thorin cupped her face in his hands. “Why? Should I be?”

    “I hid Frodo from you. I know I should have sent something, at least to Balin or Ori or one of them, but I never did. I might as well have kept him from you,” she rambled, tears gathering in her eyes, “I would have kept him there forever if Fili and Kili hadn’t arrived in the Shire when they did. I-”

    Thorin shook his head, leaned forward to gently connect their foreheads, and smiled softly at her. Bella’s words trailed off with a sigh. 

    “I could never be angry with you because of this. Once the dragon took the Mountain I accepted that I would never have children of my own,” he confided with an almost wry smile, “But you have given me that opportunity, and I could not be happier for it.”

    Bella sighed, barely pulling away. “I cannot return to the Shire until next spring at least. Gandalf already offered to escort us back if we wish.”

    “Which means…”

    She rolled her eyes. “If I was to be persuaded to remain here, in Erebor, with you, then I would have to be convinced by spring.” she said slowly, fighting a grin. Thorin’s look of determination was a sight to see. He stood up, kissed her hand, bowed (jokingly), and left before she could do more than finally grin. 

    Frodo returned a few moments later, bubbling over with stories. Bella only halfway listened to her son. She had given Thorin a quite undeserved chance to prove himself to her a second time, and possibly to be a father to his son. 


	8. A Moment of Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A happy moment of domestic peace. Tiny Frodo and Thorin interactions, and nothing is cuter than that, right?

    Frodo scrambled for the wooden sword under his bed. His new cousins had given it to him that day. He held it in front of him, slid into his slippers, and stood up. 

_ Bang. _

    There was that noise again. It sounded like the hammers when Mister Gamgee had built the shed out back. Except this noise was much different. Frodo gulped and crept out into the hallway and silently past his mama’s room. He could kind of hear her breathing inside. It was hard to open the big stone door, but he was a big boy now, according to mama, and it only took a few minutes. 

    The noise got louder as he walked down the hall. The last door was cracked open. The gap was just big enough to squeeze through. 

    “What are you doing here so late?”

    Frodo jumped at the voice, dropping his sword with a clatter. He turned to the anvil. He ran forward and felt a bit silly for being scared. It was just his papa standing at the anvil. He hopped up onto the bench to get a bit taller. 

    Thorin struggled not to laugh as his son fought to climb onto the bench. The lad cheered when he finally succeeded, hopping up and down in excitement. 

    “Does your mother know you are here?” he asked Frodo. 

    The boy shrugged. “She’s sleeping. It’s bad to wake her when she’s sleeping, didn’t you know?” he said as if it was a fact and Thorin  _ should _ know. He did, of course. The entire Company had found that out in Laketown. A sick Bella was a deadly Bella. 

    “I do,” he answered simply. Frodo giggled. He poked around at the metal on the anvil for a minute or two. It may have been simple childish curiosity, but to Thorin it was a clear sign of the boy’s dwarven ancestry. All dwarf children began to show interest in the forge and tools at a very young age. Fili and Kili had followed him to the forge as soon as they could walk. 

    “What’s this?” Frodo poked the metal again and looked up. 

    Thorin thought for a moment. “A gift for your mother, but I don’t know what it will be yet.”

    Frodo seemed to accept the explanation, nodding. “Oh. How come you don’t know?”

    “I’ll find out what it will be eventually. Perhaps an accessory of some sort.”

    “Oh!,” Frodo exclaimed with a hop, “Mama really likes pins.”

    “Really?”

    His son nodded. “Yep. I make her some out of flowers an’ things sometimes and she really likes them. She’s only got one that isn’t flowers. I dunno where she got it. From her ‘venture, I think,” Frodo explained, “She says it’s the same stuff as her pretty shirt and gold. I think it’s real pretty.”

    Thorin knew instantly what the pin was. It had been one of the few things he had from Erebor on the journey, a pin that had belonged to his grandmother long ago. He had given it to her in Mirkwood. 

    It was quiet in the forge for the next few hours. When Thorin looked away from the small pin he found Frodo asleep, his head on his arms. The pin went into his pocket for the time being. Thorin picked his son up gently, careful to let him sleep, and carried him down the hallway. The flickering light spilling from the doorway lit the way. 

    Bella stood up and sighed in relief when Thorin came through the doorway. She brushed Frodo’s curls off of his forehead, looking up. 

    “Where did you find him? I woke up for something and I couldn’t find him.”

    Thorin smiled. “He came into the forge at the end of the hallway a few hours ago,” he explained, “He fell asleep some time ago. I was told he didn’t want to wake you, as it is quite dangerous.”

     Bella snorted. “Of course he did,” she murmured. Frodo made a soft noise and burrowed into Thorin’s chest. His face disappeared under a mop of curls. Bella gestured behind her. “You might as well tuck him back in. It’s still an hour or so before breakfast.”

    Frodo luckily stayed asleep while Thorin laid him back in bed and quietly left the room. He found Bella in the kitchen. She hummed as she bustled around, tossing something into a pot here and cracking eggs into a bowl there. Thorin watched her for a moment. The domesticity of the scene felt special, a moment of calm in a life of chaos. 

    A moment later Bella turned to him with a surprised smile. “Why don’t you come over here and help? Unless there’s some impending royal duty you must rush off too, you might as well,” she suggested, a thinly veiled command. Thorin smiled and stepped forward to pile wood in the stove. 

    Bella was carrying a pan to the stove and Thorin turned away when she ran into him. The pan, thankfully empty, clattered to the floor. He caught her around the waist before she too fell. Her chest heaved for a moment, resting her hands on his arms. They stared at each other and somehow got closer. Bella’s eyes began to flicker shut. Thorin moved one hand to cup her face. 

   “Mama?”

    Bella scrambled away from Thorin and turned to her son. Frodo seemed to stare at her flushed cheeks and the scene he’d caught, as if adding something together. He darted to the counter where the food sat. Bella tidied her wayward curls and guided Frodo to the table. She glanced over her shoulder to Thorin. Her expression seemed to say, ‘come here’ as she pulled out a third chair. 

    Thorin sat beside his son, who cheered happily. He launched into a story from back in the Shire and Bella had to redirect his attention multiple times. Thorin found himself paying more attention to the way Bella reacted than to the story itself. 

    Balin knocked at the door an hour or so later. Frodo wrapped himself around Thorin’s leg, giggling, and refused to let go until Balin distracted him with a candy. Bella waited for a moment and said goodbye before darting after her son. 

    “I was wondering where you had gone. Dwalin suggested you would be here,” Balin said. Thorin glared half-heartedly at him, an action which gained him a laugh. 

    “I am merely trying to fix my mistakes. If I do not, Bella will leave in spring.”

    Balin looked surprised at this. “She may stay here?”

    Thorin nodded. Balin knew the others would want to know, of course. Ori had missed her help with books, Bombur had lamented the loss of hobbit recipes (and her adoration of his cooking), and the others had missed her even if they had not said much on the matter. 

    For himself, Balin hoped she would stay. She made them all happier with her brightness, but most importantly, she made Thorin truly smile again. And that was a great achievement indeed. 


	9. Hopes Renewed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin hopes Thorin and Bella will see sense soon, Frodo wears boots, and a new development may arise around two princes.

    The guards shouted out to each other as they changed shifts. Dwalin watched from above with a critical eye. Even this many years since the Battle and he made sure to be careful. The numbers of the guard had increased since the remaining dwarves exiled from Erebor returned in large numbers. 

    Nori was somewhere down below making sure no harm would come to Bella and Frodo. The rest of the Company were keeping an ear out as well. Dwalin almost felt pity for the first dwarf to say anything they shouldn’t. 

    “Not a peep.” Nori walked up behind him, twirling a knife in his hands. 

    “Good.”

    It had been a surprise when their burglar had returned after so long, and with a child in tow no less. Perhaps most other dwarves had not yet figured out whose child it was, but Dwalin noticed immediately. He had spent his entire life around Thorin. The young Frodo was the spitting image of his father. Of course he had Bella’s curls and the hobbit ears, but the bright eyes were a dead giveaway. 

    Thorin had never smiled as much before as he did around Bella and Frodo. Dwalin had seen him, Frodo on his shoulders, walking around the mountain. Balin had mentioned the day before in their usual meeting that the Council was beginning to ask questions. Dwalin told him what the blasted Council could do with their opinion. 

    Balin had not been impressed by that. Thorin restrained his laugh long enough for him to leave the room. 

    He’d had a point, unfortunately. The Council would need an explanation of Frodo. Something along the lines of complicating the line for the throne probably. Fili clearly didn’t seem to see Frodo as any kind of threat. He and Kili had taken almost as much joy in their cousin as Thorin had. 

    “I need to go talk to Balin. Let me know if anything happens,” Dwalin ordered the guard nearest him and left. 

    Finding his brother proved to be difficult. On the way there, walking around the throne room, he found Thorin. His cousin disappeared behind the throne for a minute only to reappear with Frodo in his arms. He hadn’t noticed Dwalin yet. 

    Mahal knew all Thorin had wanted, even through exile, had been a child. He had raised Fili and Kili after their father had been killed, and even though Thorin had often called them his own it could not be the same. 

    Watching him now, running after his son, was a wonderful sight. Frodo giggled gleefully as he darted around the room. He raced away from Thorin and towards the doorway to avoid him. Dwalin reached out to catch the giggling boy before he ran past. 

     Thorin scooped up his son and settled him on his shoulders. “What are you doing out here? I thought you’d be at the gate.”

    “I wanted to talk to Balin,” Dwalin replied, shrugging. He watched Frodo play with the braids he could reach for a moment. “Where’s Bella?”

    “Spending the day in Dale. The princesses asked for her once they heard she was here,” he explained. “Fili went down with her to meet with Bard.”

    Dwalin rolled his eyes. “Spend time with Sigrid, more like. He’s had quite an eye on her. Or haven’t you noticed?”

    Thorin nodded. He began to walk forward aimlessly, and Dwalin followed. “I have.”

    “Wonder if Kili’s been looking at anyone. If he has, I haven’t noticed.”

    “He’s been offering to deal with the elves lately,” Thorin said. “One of them, perhaps.”

    Dwalin shrugged. “That elf lass Tauriel ain’t bad. If only half of my guard were as disciplined as she is. Buncha halfwits, some days,” he muttered. Thorin laughed. On his shoulders, Frodo swung his newly booted feet. 

    Bella had only just agreed to let him wear the boots after Frodo got little stones stuck in his feet. She had explained that he never really needed them in the Shire, where most of the land was soft grass or worn paths, but his feet were still not quite as tough as hobbit soles. Part of his dwarven heritage, most likely. 

    Dori had absolutely leaped at the chance to make clothing of any sort for the lad. Frodo would have an entire wardrobe by the time he left. 

     That is, if he did leave. Dwalin personally hoped Thorin could convince Bella to stay. She was good for Erebor and for Thorin. 

    “Durin’s Day is coming. Any word of visitors?” Thorin turned to ask him. 

    “Other than Thranduil and Bard, none that I’ve heard of. Bard’s gettin’ here a few days before, and last we heard Thranduil’s sending his son until he gets here. I sent Tunri to get a room ready for him.”

    Thorin nodded. “Good.”

    The celebrations for Durin’s Day would keep Erebor and the area busy for some time. Dwalin wandered off to find his brother. He waited until Thorin and Frodo turned around the corner and walked off to the Council’s rooms. Hopefully Balin would be there. 

  
  


    Tilda babbled on endlessly about  _ something _ important as she led Bella around Dale. It was difficult to listen. Bella was amazed at the splendor of the city. The last time she had seen it had been just after the battle when refugees huddled in the corners and some buildings still smoked. Now, the city positively glittered. 

    Fili had been walking beside her until they stopped for lunch and he fell back to whisper with Sigrid. Bella wasn’t sure if Thorin knew about his nephew’s apparent infatuation with the elder girl, but she assumed he had some inkling. 

    “Kili!” Tilda yelled. Said dwarf spun around, exuding guilt, and smiled. He attempted to smooth his ruffled hair and waited for his brother. Fili narrowed his eyes at Kili, who turned to Bella as if for help. She stepped back with a smile. 

    “I thought you were supposed to be meeting the elves, brother.”

    Kili grinned. “I was,” he promised, “It... ended early.”

    “Sure it did,” Fili muttered. As he turned back to Sigrid, an elf turned the corner and stopped. Bella recognised Legolas and smiled at him. The elf smiled back, smoothed a few wayward hairs and walked up to the group. Kili somehow instantly found his way beside Bella. 

    The look he and Legolas exchanged was somehow odd, but Bella was too distracted by the city to notice. When she darted ahead to look at a stall they ended up beside each other and walked together for the remainder of the afternoon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but I wanted to get something out to you guys before I leave for vacation. I'm hoping to write a few chapters while I'm up in Canada, but no promises!


	10. Progress is Made?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late chapter, I know. I watched Bohemian Rhapsody so now I'm obsessed with Queen and the BoRhap boys. I got busy with my new Queen Hogwarts au (https://archiveofourown.org/series/1260533 some cheeky spon).   
> I hope you enjoy this long-awaited chapter, and thanks for being patient with me.  
> Tell me what you think!

    The air in the Council room felt hot and stuffy. Thorin wanted nothing more than to spend the time with Bella or Frodo. Fili and Kili seemed to be even more bored than he was, if possible. Balin’s mask of interest was keeping the councillors distracted for the moment. 

    The eldest of the Council cleared his throat and turned directly to Thorin. “I have recently been made aware of the halflings now staying in the Mountain,” he began, clearly settling in for a speech. “There has been no straight answer as to what they are doing here. I demand to know who they are and why they are staying here, so far from their home. If the princes brought them here they must be important.”

    Thorin turned to Balin, who nodded. “Bella Baggins was the burglar in our quest to reclaim the Mountain. My nephews brought her back upon visiting her in the Shire. She was told by Dain that they and I had died,” he explained, looking to Fili and Kili when he mentioned them. The elder nodded. 

    “And the boy?” he asked. Thorin paused for a moment to gather his courage. 

    “He is Frodo Baggins-” Here he hesitated again “-and our son.”

    The council descended into chaos. The councillors began shouting at and over each other. The eldest merely stared at Thorin, a clear look of disdain on his face. When he cleared his throat to speak the other fell silent. 

    “So Dain was not lying to me then.”

    “What did he tell you?”

    “He told me shortly before he left that the child was your bastard. I thought he had lied to me. It appears I am wrong.”

    Fili shot up and Kili growled at him for what he called their cousin. Balin pulled Fili back into his seat and turned to the councillor. “It’s quite a bit more complicated than that, Lord Dai. Mistress Baggins returned to the Shire believing Thorin died of his wounds. She has told me that had she known the truth she would have stayed here with him. “

    The councillor beside Dai snorted. “And what then? You would have a hobbit as queen?”

    Thorin turned to him with a stony glare. “I would,” he stated. Balin’s grin became quite smug then. The full Council stared in shock. 

    “A commoner of another race as queen?” one exclaimed. “That has never been done.”

    Balin once again spoke up first. “Her grandfather is the Thain of the Shire. According to both her and books in the royal library, he is their military leader and the closest thing to royalty in the Shire. I believe that means she is not quite a commoner,” he explained, still grinning smugly. The elder seemed defeated for a split second before he looked up again. 

    “Has she declared the boy’s father?”

    “She will once she is told how. Our head librarian is to explain it to her today.”

    The elder glared for a moment as if trying to find fault in the statement but turned away. The Council quickly broke up after that, the elder glaring until he left. Thorin was the last to leave, as per tradition, but he ran ahead of even the Councillors on his way to Bella’s chambers. 

    He burst in to find Bella sitting on the couch with a book on her lap and Ori on the other chair explaining something. Frodo, beside his mother, turned when the door opened. He cheered and darted across the room. Thorin lifted his son and crossed to the couch beside Bella. 

    “Hello,” she whispered. Ori stood up, bowed, and left the room silently. Frodo moved so that he was squeezed in between his parents. 

    Bella waited until her son fell asleep to turn to Thorin. “Ori explained to me what I need to do. I’ll need help with making the bead, but I thought maybe Fili could help me with that, since I’ve been told he’s now a remarkable silversmith. That’s really all,” she explained. Frodo shifted in his sleep, falling sideways, so Bella picked him up and moved towards his bedroom. Thorin followed after a moment of hesitation. 

    He watched from the doorway as she laid Frodo in his bed gently and pulled the blanket over him. The candle’s low light lent her a golden glow, enhancing her natural beauty. Her curls positively glowed, like the veins of gold ore that ran through the Mountain. 

    Thorin was startled when he noticed Bella standing at the door, looking up at him. She laughed, a soft sort of a sound, and walked back into the living room. They sat where they had been moments earlier, the light dimmer now. 

    “I should get to bed,” Bella murmured, though she made no move to leave. Thorin reached out, holding his breath, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. To his surprise she almost seemed to melt and leaned into his side. Thorin reached around her for the blanket laying on the arm of the couch and draped it lightly over the two of them. He pulled Bella just a bit closer and put his head back onto the cushion. 

    By the time the fire went out both of them had fallen asleep, cuddled up to each other on the couch. 

 

-

 

    Frodo crept out of his room, careful not to make a sound. Bag End always had planks that would squeak if he stood on them, but luckily the stone never did. The clock on his mantlepiece told him it was just after midnight. He had to be quiet so Mama wouldn’t wake up. 

    She wasn’t in her room and her pajamas were laid out on the bed like usual. That was odd. Mama never forgot to put them on unless she fell asleep reading a book. 

    Maybe that’s what had happened. Frodo pulled the door closed and snuck down the hallway. The only light was from the burning embers, so it was very difficult to see. She wasn’t in the kitchen or at the table, and she wasn’t on the balcony. 

    Frodo turned to the living room. He peeked around the armchair, and there she was. Or rather, there  _ they _ were. Mama was asleep, tucked into Papa’s side, underneath the old blanket. 

    “Night, Mama,” he whispered, crawling up to hug her goodnight and then creeping out and back to his room. He didn’t want to disturb them. They looked so cozy. 

    Maybe Mama would decide to stay in Erebor. It wasn’t as nice and calm as the Shire, but they could still visit. Erebor was much bigger and much more interesting. They couldn’t leave yet, anyways. He’d been promised a tour of Dale by his cousins and the princesses, after all. 


	11. Changing Relations

    Fili watched his cousin gaze around and hop up everytime he caught a snowflake. The boy giggled when one hit his nose. Fili had had to prevent him from falling out of the carriage more than once. 

    He’d been sent to greet the Greenwood embassy as the crown prince, and of course Kili and Frodo had joined him. They’d been playing by the gates with sticks as mock swords when he passed by and had insisted on going with. 

    The elves came into sight just as they left the foothills. Kili jumped up and grinned, jumping out of the carriage before it came to a full stop. Fili pulled the ponies just short of the lead elf and grumbled at his brothers’ recklessness. 

    “Hello, Legolas,” Kili greeted the elf, in the middle of the group. Frodo hopped down to follow his cousin and stare at the horses. Fili watched as Legolas handed his horse over to another elf and followed Kili to the carriage. After lifting Frodo up Kili turned around and offered his hand to Legolas. He pulled the elf up and grinned up at him with the soppiest expression. 

_ Oh. _

    He hadn’t realised that had happened, or even when they’d had time for anything to develop. It’d be quite interesting when Uncle found out about that. 

    The party of elves divided in two, one group of each side of the carriage. Frodo plopped down onto the front seat just as Fili started the ponies again. He began babbling innately again. One elf, a red-head, glanced over. 

    “Is he kin?” she asked, slowing to stay beside the front seat. 

    Fili nodded upon recognising Tauriel. “He is. This is Frodo, my cousin.”

    At the mention of his name, the boy popped up. He grinned and held his hand out to Tauriel. She shook it with mock seriousness. 

    “Hello. I’m Frodo, son of Bella. She’s my mama. She taught me to do that when I meet new people,” he chattered on. 

    She smiled. “And I am Tauriel, a captain of the guard in Greenwood. I remember when you and your mother stayed with us on your trip here. Did you have fun?”

    “Yup,” Frodo chirped with a wider grin. “The palace was really pretty an’ I liked the food an’ all the animals were neat!”

    Fili watched his cousin chatter on with the she-elf. Legolas sat forward and joined their conversation at some point, and even Kili joined in with a story about the first journey to Erebor. 

    The guards waved them aside. Fili handed off the cart to one and the elves took their horses to the stables. Before Kili could walk inside Fili grabbed him by the collar. 

    “Can we talk later?”

    Kili raised an eyebrow. “Alright... Is something wrong?”

    “No,” Fili replied, shrugging. “Just your whole thing with Legolas. I just wanted to know what’s going on.”

    Kili muttered a promise to meet up with him later before dragging Frodo into the mountain with him. Fili rolled his eyes and beckoned the elves to follow him to their quarters. He darted away as soon as possible and into the royal quarters. 

    Fili stopped at the door to his uncle’s quarters and pushed it open. They were heavy, made of wood from the Greenwood as a alliance gift to Erebor. 

    “The elves are here, uncle.”

    Thorin glanced up from behind the mountain of papers. “Good. Are they settled in?”

    “They’re in their quarters,” he replied. His uncle nodded and turned back to the papers. “I suppose you’ll be busy.”

    “I’ve let all this pile up lately, what with all the fuss.”

    Fili scoffed. “You mean busy with Bella.”

    The glare he received was half-hearted at best. 

    “Are they going to stay here?” Fili asked, sitting in the chair across from his uncle. Thorin sighed. 

    “I don’t know. If they leave it will be in the spring, after the thaws.”

    “You should really talk to her, uncle,” Fili replied. “If she doesn’t know how you feel about all this, why would she stay? Both of you are good at not saying anything. Mum’s getting frustrated.”

    Thorin rolled his eyes. “Your mother wants a new friend and a nephew.”

    “You’ve got two. Maybe she’s jealous.”

    “I’ll talk to her. Soon,” Thorin promised. “Now go on. Balin may throw me off the mountain if this paperwork isn’t done today.”

    Fili laughed on his way out. 

    It took quite some time, but he finally found Kili on the balcony of his rooms, leaning on the rail. 

    “You’ll turn into Uncle if you keep brooding like that.”

    Kili turned around and snickered. “Maybe I’m trying to.”

    He rolled his eyes and stepped forward beside his brother. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you two?” Kili sighed. 

    “I don’t know, Fee,” Kili whispered. “I don’t know how to do any of this. Uncle’s kind of an idiot about it sometimes but Bella’s probably staying, and you know what you’re doing about Sigrid, but I’m just clueless.”

    Fili scoffed. “You should know me better than that,” he replied, shrugging. “I still don’t know what I’m doing around her, Kee. All I can do is try and hope she likes it. I don’t know what elves like, but I’d assume flowers if they live in a forest.”

    Kili looked up. “Really? But what if he doesn’t like them, or I accidentally say something wrong with them, or he doesn’t even like me?” he whined. Fili laid an arm around his shoulders. 

    “It’ll be fine, Kee. Ask Bella for help with the flower meanings and just hope he does.” 

    “Okay,” Kili murmured. “What about Uncle? He hates Thranduil, you know that. I don’t think he likes Legolas any more.”

    “I don’t think he’ll care. Bella likes the elves, especially Legolas, so you’re fine. He’ll deal with it if she does.”

    Kili snorted. “He’d do pretty much anything if it meant she’d be happy.”

    “Alright, now go! I think she’s outside, so go and get your flowers for your elf.”

    Kili stuck his tongue at Fili, who laughed, and darted away. Fili watched his brother disappear and leaned back. 

    He made a mental note to talk to Legolas. He had to protect Kili, after all. 


End file.
